It's Genetic

He LOVES cars! Especially this JEEP. (Aren't you proud, Aunt Sharon!? :)

Looks like they're on a date!

Crusin' with Noelle

Why I Love the Fall

Crisp, cool mornings

Picking plump pumpkins

Jewel toned mums

Sipping hot cider

Fall fests

Hay rides

Bon fires

Camping with friends

Hot chili

Spiced pumpkin bread

Apple picking

Warm apple crisp with vanilla ice cream

Changing leaves

Trees ablaze

Colorful Indian corn

Collecting acorns

Decorative squash & gourds

Sweet candy corn

Sticky caramel apples

Hay bales

Harvest

Falling leaves

Giving Thanks

~~~~~~~~~~~

Did I miss anything?

Inspired by my friend Jess ;)

Breakfast this Weekend?

Blueberry Coffee Cake

This is so tasty! A friend mentioned that his wife made it and I couldn’t get it out of my mind. When I asked her about it I was excited to learn it was in a cookbook I had, Simply in Season. When I made it for a larger group, I doubled the recipe and made it in a bundt pan, sprinkling the topping in the pan first.

1 c. flour (I used white/wheat)

½ c. whole wheat flour

½ c. sugar

1 T. baking powder

1 t. cinnamon

½ t salt

Combine in large mixing bowl.

1 ½ c. blueberries

1 t. lemon peel (grated, optional)

Gently fold in.

1 egg

½ cup milk

¼ c. butter (melted) or oil

Whisk together in small bowl. Add to flour mixture and stir carefully. Batter will be stiff. Spread into a greased 8 by 8 inch pan.

Topping:

1/3 c. sugar

1/3 c. whole wheat flour

1/3 c. walnuts or pecans

2 T butter

1 t. cinnamon

Mix together until crumbly and sprinkle over batter.

Bake in preheated over at 425 until top is light golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

A Father's Love

It has been such a joy to see and experience David's deep, deep love for Blaise. From the moment he delivered him, laid him me and exuberantly cried out, "It's a boy! It's a BOY!" his love has exponentially multiplied. What a beautiful gift a father's love for his son is! I am so thankful for David and the incredible father that he is.

I realized I never posted this precious picture taken on Father's Day. That led me to finding many other adorable father-son shots taken the past six months. ;)

Celebrating David's FIRST Happy Father's Day!

Love that he's a "daddy" now. It breaks David's and my heart when Blaise cries when we drop him off at work in the morning, and when he calls for his dada/daddy during the day when he's gone. :(

Days before he walked on his own!

Mmm yummy corn on the 4th of July

Fountain Play at the Botanical Garden-we're sad the free Wed night concert season has come to an end :(

B looooves it!

The children's garden is our new favorite place!

Taken in the Spring

B loves to brush his teeth with daddy

Feeding the fish at the gardens

Shaving with daddy

At the beach, sleeping in daddy's arms

incredible Captiva Sunsets!

My friend Mary said in an email the other day, " I love hearing parents talk about their little babies and how much they love them, such a picture of God's heart for us!!! " I loved that she reminded me of that-we love Blaise with such an overwhelming love, but God's love for us is even greater!!

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us." 1 John 3:16

Unwanted Furniture?

If you live in the St. Louis area and have extra furniture, clothes, toys, or kitchen items etc.. that you don't need, Rise Together Ministries is in need of your stuff! Worku, from Ethiopia, runs this organization that our church works with and he ministers primarily to African refugees. Over 4,000 refugees/ immigrants come to St. Louis yearly with nothing. "Many immigrants lose their sense of identity as well as their possessions when they flee their country in the midst of war, racial oppression or religious persecution. We meet their immediate needs by providing furniture to their empty apartments and teaching them how to be creative, to provide for themselves. We want to restore them to the glory of being God’s image-bearers. Our after-school tutoring, community mentoring and skill development programs help many of the immigrants to recognize their importance in this new community."

If you call Worku, he will come to you and pick up your furniture with his trailer. After our garage sale last week, we had several big furniture pieces left. He came out to Chesterfield and took it all and he told me that there are TEN families on a waiting list for furniture. TEN! So look around, if you have something your not using, give him a call!

Contact: Worku-314-520-3049

yesuswodaje@gmail.com

From their web site:

Our Vision

Redemption

We serve immigrants and refugees coming to America for a chance to start their lives anew. We have an opportunity to show them the person and true meaning of Christ. Our counseling program points to Christ for healing and seeing life as worth living. Reconciliation The work of reconciliation lets us clearly see God’s kingdom in the present. The American church is often unaware of the coupled beauty and pain in the experience of “new Americans.” The immigrant community brings a fresh perspective in worship and Scripture study. Rise Together seeks to advance God’s vision of uniting nations and cultures for the mutual benefit of the world church.

A Gateway City

Saint Louis is a city of broad diversity. The many languages spoken in South St. Louis and the booming ethnic restaurant industry are signs of the blessings newcomers bring. Each year, the city welcomes close to 4000 new immigrant, refugee, and transient residents. St Louis is second in the nation in the ratio of foreign born to native born citizens. In the midst of such extraordinary diversity, many local churches are neither aware of nor prepared to meet this people’s unique range of needs. The joyful calling of the body of Christ is to unite across national borders and personal tension. Rise Together Ministries seeks to enable our appendage of the body of Christ to join with the new members that have come into our midst. Through an array of programs, this group bridges the difficult gaps that refugees face in order to acclimate to American life. Since its founding in 2006 by Worku Geremew, an Ethiopian immigrant, Rise Together Ministries has been working steadily to improve the lives of our new neighbors.

Rise Together Ministries 3646 Fairview, Saint Louis, MO 63116

Mailing Address: PO Box 170211 Saint Louis, MO 63110

Phone: 314-520-3049

Email: risetogetherministries@gmail.com